If You Crave My Death
by CaptainCMorgan
Summary: "When people unite under one will, they become stronger than the sums of their parts." A new threat with ties to one of our heroes blazes his way into town. With seemingly unstoppable powers, he has no qualms about taking down anyone who stands in the way of what he desires. Everything our heroes have ever known and worked so hard for will be put in jeopardy.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This story is going to be pretty brutal with major character deaths and triggers in later chapters. This is my first fanfiction in 10 years so I hope it's readable! I'm not sure exactly where this story falls on the canon timeline just yet, so bear with me. If anyone is interested in being a beta please let me know! Thanks so much for reading, please leave reviews with constructive criticisms for me to help me improve the story.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

The dark figure coughed and sputtered, clearing the water from his lungs painfully as he hunched over the rocks and sand on Storybrook's beach. He had been unfamiliar with the speed at which a mermaid travels realms and it had caught him off guard to be thrust through time and space so suddenly.

"M-master Moros...please-"

A whimper from behind him reminded him of his slave, and he glanced over his shoulder at the poor emaciated mermaid that had nearly killed herself following his wishes in getting the two of them into this world. Behind her, the ocean churned angrily at the disruption of their portal, and waves crashed against the shore as he smoothed his dark wet hair back off his face and staggered to his feet. Approaching the poor pathetic girl, Moros gently caressed her cheek with his damp fingertips, causing her to cry out in fright.

"You have been useful," he whispered with gratitude, voice thick with an unfamiliar accent, as he took a hold of a heavy amulet that dangled from his neck.  
The amulet was etched with foreign symbols that surrounded a depiction of a strange, savage winged creature she did not recognize. The symbols flared to life at his touch, nearly blinding her with they're brightness. Then she could feel it pulling at her, as if the breath in her lungs, the blood in her veins, the magic coursing through her, was being absorbed by the ancient artefact.

The man stood back once the mermaid collapsed, dead and shriveled with grey leathery skin and brittle white scales. He inhaled deeply as her life strengthened him and he turned his irregular colored eyes towards the twinkling town lights beyond the beach.  
He could practically taste the magic that resided there already.

Regina stood with her arms crossed tightly across her chest, a strange ominous feeling coming over her as she felt a strong malevolent presence somewhere beyond the window she gazed out of.

"Mom," a voice behind her shook her out of her deep thoughts, and she turned to regard her son. "We're going to be late."

She glanced down at her watch and realized he was right, and began gathering her things.

"Alright," she replied, preparing to leave the house, keys in hand and purse strap resting comfortably in the crook of her arm. "Grab Emma's gifts, please dear?"

Her eyes flicked upwards at the dark skies while she made her way to her car, and she saw them as a terrible omen. As they both piled into her car, she suppressed a shiver and started the engine. They made their way to Granny's Diner, all the way she watched the tumultuous night sky, unsettled. Something dark had found its way into her quiet town.  
Something dark and familiar.

* * *

Emma laughed and clapped her hands merrily as she blew out the last candle on her cake. She felt happier than she had been in a long time, looking around at the smiling faces of those she loved and held dear. If anyone had told her three years ago that she would be here, surrounded by family on her birthday, she would have laughed so hard in disbelief she would have choked on her pity-party birthday cupcake.

Emma began to open her gifts one by one. Her parents got her practical things, as parents do, new clothes and a ring with their family crest on it. Mary Margaret was an intuitive shopper. Henry bought his mother a board game that everyone could break out and play after dinner. Kilian had a gift that he winked and refused to give to her until later, while also presenting her with a splendid set of silver diamond stud earrings, one a swan and the other a hook, eliciting a grand smile from the blonde woman.

But it was Regina's gift that brought tears to her eyes, which meant the most. When she pulled the painting out of the bag she gasped and cried instantly.

"I didn't even know you could paint," She smiled at the brunette through her tears, reaching a hand out to place on top of the older woman's leg.

"There's a lot about me you don't know, Miss Swan," Regina replied haughtily, but she was smiling brightly at the birthday girl.

"It must've taken forever," Emma said, squeezing Regina's knee before lovingly looking back at the artwork.

The painting was a beautiful depiction of their weird little Swan-Mills family, a painting of a picture taken of the three of them during the fair earlier in the year. God, Henry had grown so much already in that short time.

Beside Regina, Robin frowned and placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. Despite his obvious sour mood, he suggested happily, "How about we start that board game!"

"Great idea!" Emma jumped up and began making a space for the game to be laid out on the table, apparently not seeing the tension in Robin as he clenched his jaw in jealousy.

Regina didn't look back at her partner. Their relationship was on the rocks lately, however they didn't want it to be public knowledge. She loved Robin, so, so much, but day by day he grew more suspicious and jealous of the time she spent with the Sheriff, and nothing she could do or say dispelled his brooding attitude. Certainly she and Emma had grown close, but they were simply good—perhaps best?—friends and co-parents. She knew that the situation between her sister and Robin complicated everything, he was constantly feeling like he had to own up and gain Regina's forgiveness. He didn't fully trust her yet that she might try to get some sort of revenge, possibly by using Emma. The whole situation exhausted her. She found it childish of him but desperately wanted things between them to get better. He **was** her happy ending, after all.

* * *

After Henry not-so-humbly won the board game, everyone besides Regina and Emma cleared out. Robin went to take Roland home to bed, as did the Charmings with Henry and Neal, and Emma sent her boyfriend home with them because he had passed out drunk leaning on the jukebox.

Regina watched Emma briefly as the energetic young blonde made her rounds accepting 'happy birthday!' wishes from various townsfolk around the Diner. The mayor sullenly turned her attention to her glass of red Zinfandel, enjoying mulling the spicy bold flavor over her mouth. Her mind was preoccupied with the cold demeanor Robin had exhibited towards her when he left, but more importantly, with the heavy, dark presence she could sense since earlier that evening.

Emma noisily plopped herself down on the stool next to Regina. "Alright, bring on the booze!"

Regina smiled into her glass as the sheriff ordered two tequila shots with clamato chasers for them.

"You're a lunatic," she said when Emma slid her shots towards her.

"Cheers!" Emma grinned.

The brunette mirrored Emma, tequila in one hand and clamato in the other, and clinked her shot glasses with the blonde's. They knocked the shots back and loudly placed the glasses back down on the counter simultaneously. The sudden burn of the tequila quickly negated by the clamato took Regina by surprise.

"That…was actually quite good." She said reluctantly.

Emma smiled and leaned her head on her hand as she peered at the other woman. "Ok, You gonna tell me what's up now or do I have to get you sloshed first?"

Regina snorted and shook her head disbelievingly. Emma could see through her every time.

"How do you do that?"

"I know you, Regina," Emma's sudden seriousness caused Regina's head to whip over in her direction. Emma wiggled her eyebrows and grinned. "Plus, I'm a detective. It's mah job."

The mayor chuckled and took another sip of wine. She had noticed that Emma covers up her feelings and serious talks with humor, much like she herself did with sassy and sarcastic comments.

"Things are a little tense between Robin and I," the older woman admitted quietly.

"No shit," Emma scoffed.

She wasn't blind, she's noticed that lately Robin had been burdening her friend with a possessiveness that bordered on disrespect. He would text or call her every time the women were together, asking she be home early, and being protective and concerned about her the majority of the time. Emma didn't like the way Robin treated Regina as a possession he was afraid to lose.

The sheriff and the mayor enjoyed patrolling the city together on warmer nights, it gave them a chance to talk about Henry, their relationships with their significant others, and even practice magic together. Robin was always upset at Regina for the patrols, saying it was unnecessary for her to be out putting herself in danger, that Emma's magic was volatile, among other excuses. He was trying to quench the fire in Regina, to tame her, to take away from her what had originally drew him to her. What he – and Emma too – liked in her.

Emma shook her head and took a swig of beer, angrily slamming it back down onto the counter. Robin was an idiot, No one could quench Regina's fire.

"Don't," Regina said softly, looking into the deep red of her wine for solace.

The blonde woman sighed and obliged, running a hand through her tangled hair. She knew that they had True Love, and even True Love took work. She decided to change the subject. "Thanks again for the painting,"

"It was nothing." Regina said dismissively as her brown eyes flicked over to meet her friends gaze, then to her right ear where she wore the new hook shaped earring Killian had gifted her. "Nice earrings," she complimented half-heartedly. She honestly thought they were gaudy.

Emma reached up to trace her finger over the silver hook and smiled distantly. The look on her friend's face caused Regina to arch an eyebrow and search the thoughtful expression Emma wore for any unspoken feelings.

"Yeah…" The Sheriff murmured.

Sensing her friend's melancholy attitude intruding on the birthday celebrations, Regina ordered them both more shots, grinning wickedly at the blonde who perked up instantly.

After a few more drinks, when the two of them started feeling a little foolish and intoxicated with their worries and cares far behind them, Regina offered for Emma to stay over. Henry was at Mary Margaret's with Neal and Charming, and Roland was at Robin's so they had the house to themselves. Plus tomorrow's hangover would certainly be much more tolerable without the clatter and noise from breakfast at the Charmings'. And so the two returned to Regina's mansion, Emma much more intoxicated than she realized, they noisily made their way through the front door up the steps. Emma fell sloppily into Regina's bed, too drunk to even attempt putting pajamas on, as the older woman deftly changed into a comfortable black silk nightgown with her back turned to her guest. Regina sat beside her on the bed and began piling pillows between them.

"Wassat?" Emma's mouth felt too sluggish and stupid to properly form words, squinting to see with only one eye partially open.

"Lesbian prevention guard," Regina replied solemnly.

The two were sent into a fit of genuine laughter that carried them both into a happy drunken slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: Well this escalated quickly. Here's where things start getting messy and pretty gruesome. Character death, sorry everyone. You'll come to find this story is a little Games-of-Thrones-ish in where no character is safe, and it will be an unrelenting and unforgiving series of events. I apologize for taking the liberty in killing characters you may love in hindsight.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

Emma woke face down on Regina's bed, a small puddle of drool at her cheek. This was the sort of day that she wondered why she ever drank. It must be the devil in her that willingly subjects herself to such torture as a tequila hangover.

She groaned as she rolled onto her back and wiped her mouth with her sleeve, covering her eyes with her arm to try to block out the sun. Why was it so bright?!

"Here,"

She peeked out under her arm to see a composed Regina sitting at the edge of the bed on the far side, holding a glass of sweet, sweet hydrating water out as an offering.

"What kind of demon are you?" Emma said as she sat up to take the glass and graciously drank a great gulp of water.

"The kind that drinks water between my alcoholic beverages," Regina retorted, standing. She smoothed her skirt and blouse as she stood. She had obviously been up for a while, for she was dressed in clean clothes, showered, makeup on, and was ready to face the day. "It's three o'clock. I'm cooking dinner for Robin and I, you're more than welcome to join, you and Killian both."

Emma pulled herself up to regard Regina, still squinting through her headache. Luckily she wasn't nauseous, but it did feel like there were seven dwarves happily mining away at the inside of her skull.

"Yeah," she called over her shoulder as she made her way to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face to wake herself up. "I'll send him a text the once."

* * *

Dinner was delicious, as would be expected of Regina; a perfectly cooked meal of lamb spiced with rosemary, garlic and thyme, with scallops and shrimp on the side. The vegetables were soft and had been cooked in honey and cracked pepper to add both savory and sweet flavors.

Killian burped as he sat back in his chair, rubbing his stomach and nodded at Regina in appreciation. "She knows how to cook," He complimented.

She winced at his poor table manners, but forced a smile. Robin made a noise of agreement as he took hold of his girlfriend's hand, gently pressing his lips to her fingers.

"Gorgeous, as always," he said. "And the food was amazing too."

Regina reached out a hand to cup his cheek for a moment as a thank you before she began to pick up everyone's dishes, transporting them to the sink to be washed. She fussed around the kitchen as she tidied the mess of their meals. She refused to let her guests clean up after themselves; she prided herself in being a gracious host. She listened to her lover chat amicably with Killian and Emma about trivial things, the men both sipping their rum and ginger occasionally. Emma of course decided to go with the hair of the dog that bit her, and was slowly enjoying the red wine her and Regina were both drinking.

Hearty laughter occasionally rang out from the dining room, bringing a muted smile to the mayor's face. She enjoyed the sound; too long had her house been quiet and uninviting. She reminisced sadly on the days where she and Henry would sit in silence, him feeling like he was trapped and herself feeling like he might disappear at any moment. But she learned that love was like a helpless bird, it couldn't be held too tightly or it would be crushed and forced to be let go. It took her a long time to learn how to hold onto love properly.

She looked up to find Robin's eyes on her and she smiled lovingly at him. For all the ups and downs they experienced, her heart still fluttered when he looked at her as he was now. He may be somewhat distrustful because of his own insecurities about their relationship, and over-protective sometimes, but she knew that it was because he truly cared. He was emulating the life his parents led, with the dutiful wife and the bread-making husband, which was all he had known of marriage and relationships. He was getting better at allowing her to be more independent as she needed to be, but they were both still learning how to be together day by day.

Regina thought about herself and Marian, and found it somewhat humorous that Robin was attracted to strong willed women when he was not always entirely sure what to do with them.

A slight movement in the bushes outside the window caught Regina's attention. She could just barely make out in the darkness a pair of eyes peering in at them. She shouted in alarm, causing her guests to jump at the ready.

That was the thing about heroes, they were always prepared, apparently.

Killian drew his sword and charged out the front door first, followed by Robin with his bow. Emma was close behind them with her gun in her hand, while Regina took up the rear, fireballs gleaming in both palms of her hand. They chased the figure out onto the front lawn where it staggered and hit the pavement hard, tripping up over a hedge.

"Wait!" Emma cried, "It's just a kid!"

They approached the small intruder slowly, her young face illuminated by Regina's magic fire.

"Grace?" Regina asked softly, moving closer to get a better look. She was unsure if the fireball was causing the flickering in the young girl's eyes or was it something else entirely. "What are you doing?"

Suddenly, faster than they could react, the girl lunged forwards and grabbed the knife from Hook's boot, swinging it wildly at them. Her hair was tangled and dirty, falling in her face and making her look manic. She snarled and growled as they tried to advance, slashing the air with the blade.

"He's here for you," She spat hatefully at them and waved the blade at them threateningly.

Emma cried out in horror at what young Grace did next. She took the blade to herself, slicing deep into her left shoulder and dragged it back and forth across her torso down to her right hip. The girl coughed blood and screamed in pain but it didn't stop her. They all looked on as the white of her ribs were exposed briefly as she sloughed off her own flesh. Then a flood of crimson gore surged from her wounds, and she slumped, her scream dying into a bone-chilling gurgle, as she fell in a bloody mess on top of her own entrails.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

The scene that had just unfurled before them left them all without words. Jefferson's daughter lay in a pool of her own viscera after having sawed her own torso apart. Emma collapsed to her knees, silent tears falling down her cheeks.

"What the fuck…" She looked back at Regina, Killian and Robin. "What the fuck was that? What the fuck makes someone do that…" She demanded, her voice shaky and her breath uneven.

Both Killian and Regina had seen many horrible things over their lives, but nothing so disturbing as what they had just witnessed on Regina's front walkway. Robin turned away to retch and purge himself of the dinner he had just eaten. The mayor's hand flew to her mouth as if she might do the same, and she shook her head in disbelief.

"I…" Regina started, but couldn't finish her thought. The whole event was too horrific to put into words.

Killian, the most composed of them all, helped Emma to her feet with a stony expression on his face, and they all backed away as Grace's blood seeped over the stones towards them. He led Emma back inside as Robin and Regina moved to stand on the porch. She picked up her phone to dial the sheriff's office, knowing Emma was in no state right now to even attempt thinking about an investigation.

David pulled up in front of Regina's not long after, the blue and red lights of his squad car casting gruesome shadows from the young girl's body over the front lawn. She was the only one who remained outside, shivering against the cold, but unable to go back in after what she saw. She couldn't justify going into a warm house while the body of such a poor innocent girl lay in pieces just past her front step.

"Jesus…" David breathed as he approached Regina, giving the body a wide berth. "Who did this?"

"Sh—"Regina choked on her words, desperately holding back tears that threatened to fall. She took a moment before responding. "She…did it to herself."

Her mind dwelled on the girl's last words. Who was here, in Storybrooke, that could do such a thing, or convince a girl to do something so horrid? Who were they here for exactly? A shiver jerked its way up her spine as she nearly entertained an impossible idea. _No, he's long dead._

"Where's Emma?" David asked, his voice drawing her out of herself.

She gestured behind her towards the front door, and David put his hand on her arm as he walked inside.

"Come on, I need to ask some questions. The coroner is on his way."

* * *

They called an emergency town meeting after Grace's body was brought to the morgue. Questions were asked such as 'Has there been any sightings of any unusual activity?', 'anyone unfamiliar roaming the streets?', or 'are everyone's children accounted for?'

Regina placed her hand around Emma's arm for support and shared a frightened look with her as one or two families said that they're children had not yet returned home after band practice, or dance class, or whatever extracurricular activity was offered that night. There were also a few adults absent here and there, so they began to take stock of the town's residents that had shown up to the meeting to see who exactly had gone missing.

Emma spent most of the meeting watching Henry closely. They had all decided it was best to spare the town the gory details to avoid complete mayhem, but they did inform the townsfolk that there had been a murder of a young child. Emma couldn't even begin to express how she felt when she saw Henry walk into the town hall, there were no words to properly articulate it. Regina shared Emma's feelings, and she suspected Robin did as well when he had earlier rushed out to gather Roland from the Charmings home after David was finished questioning them.

At the news, every parent at the town meeting was clutching their young ones to their chests and many of them were sobbing. Jefferson didn't attend the meeting. He had such an intense mental breakdown when he heard about Grace that he fled from everyone, into the woods, and a search party was now being organized to find him and any other missing persons. Gold stayed quiet at the back of the room with Belle, lost deep in thought as he mused over what sort of beast could have possibly infiltrated Storybrooke. As the Dark One, not even he would ever consider committing such a terrible crime.

Tensions between Regina and Robin began to mount during the meeting as they discussed sending out patrols around the town to see if there was anything suspicious that might lead them in the right direction. Emma was empathetic to Robin at this point; she could see that he did not want his girlfriend in such a dangerous situation, especially not now.

"I am one of the strongest people here," She argued loudly, pulling her arm away from his touch. "I can't sit back and watch as another innocent child dies!" Stubborn and proud, Regina was more insulted than flattered about his concern for her.

"She's right, Lad," Killian spoke up, "If anything happens out there, she and Emma are our best bet in making it back safe."

He wasn't particularly happy with the fact that Emma was placing herself in danger as well, but he had long since accepted the fact that she was the Savior and that was what she did. His way of dealing with it was making sure he was there with her. Robin however didn't have that luxury, as his son had to be his first priority since he was a single father.

After a very heated conversation, it was decided upon that Emma, Hook, Regina, the dwarves, and some volunteers would band together and search the town, while the rest remained in the town hall. At least if they were all together, they could make sure no one else went AWOL.

* * *

Moros kicked out with his foot, grinding the cheek of the feeble slave into the stone floor of his dungeon, reveling in the satisfying cracking of bones that echoed through the room. He had just finished using magic to create his dwellings, deep in the woods of Storybrooke, hidden well with illusion magic. The castle-like mansion was modest by his own standards but would serve its purpose. With his magic supply somewhat limited at the moment, he had to make due with what he had.

The sniveling man at his feet disgusted him. Begging and pleading for life, life that he was not deserving of. With a swift motion, he grabbed and threw the pathetic creature onto the stone slab in the center of the room and slit the man's arm open, deep enough to expose bone and watched gleefully as the man began to bleed to death. Rivulets of thick deep red poured through gouges in the stone, conglomerating into a small pool that dripped down into a goblet Moros held. The tangy metallic smell of the blood excited him, and he impatiently began to drink from his goblet. His amulet began to glimmer as he absorbed the life of the pitiful man. While the man held very little magic in him, simply being from a land of magic - the Enchanted Forest - and being present when the Dark Curse was cast, left specks of magic floating through his veins like an imprint.

Moros finished the man and then snapped his fingers at a young boy to his left, who had just watched in horror as his father was bled dry, and commanded that the child take his father's place. There was no shortage of disposable puppets in this world, however nothing quite sated him the way he required. His skin tingled in anticipation as he felt magic, true, strong magic, searching the town for whatever had caused the death of that wretched young soul he had sent to find his intended target.

His meal would come to him soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The search party ended late in the evening with no success, and the disheartened group called it a night as the moon reached it's peak in the dark sky. Without much light it became difficult to navigate through the tangles of the forest. Everyone in Storybrooke went home to their respective houses, doors locked and nightlights on to try to dispel the trepidation of the day. Regina enchanted self-containing campfires to burn through until the morning in various places around the outskirts of town and the woods in case anyone who was missing needed somewhere warm to spend the cold night.

Regina immediately rejected the idea of going home to her own place, thinking of the blood stains that darkened the stone pathway to her front door. It no longer felt safe there, for herself or for Henry, as if the tortured soul of Grace lingered there and tarnished the entire property.

And so she sat on the couch in Robin's living room instead, her knees curled into her chest as she held a cup of hot chamomile and lavender tea in her hands, inhaling its soft aromas as she tried to calm herself down. Her boyfriend had just put his son to sleep and was sitting across from her on the other end of the sofa. Neither of them had spoken for some time.

Robin was startled when he glanced at her to find her wide eyed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh Regina," he whispered, leaning forwards to catch them on his thumb.

She looked up at him, shocking herself to find her eyes wet and overflowing. As soon as her eyes met his she broke down, and he took the tea from her hands to lay it on the coffee table in order to move closer.

"Hold me?" her voice quivered with uncertainty.

Robin wrapped his arms around her and drew her into him, pressing her face into his strong chest. Her body shook as she cried quietly, her tears soaking into his t-shirt. He was the only person she could let herself be so utterly vulnerable in front of, knowing he would make himself indestructible for her in those moments when she needed to be fragile.

"I did all of this…" She managed to admit between sobs.

* * *

Emma lay in bed next to Henry in her room at her parents' house. They had gone to sleep long ago, and Henry snored lightly beside her. She gazed at him, watching his peaceful face and his chest rise and fall with his breathing, but her mind was forever polluted with the memory of Grace's exposed ribs and bloody corpse.

She shifted on the bed to face her son, gently pushing a few errant strands of hair back off his face. He sighed in his sleep and turned his face into the pillow, his sleeping body refusing to be woken up. She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, her heart aching as she thought of what poor Jefferson must be experiencing right now. Even the thought of losing Henry made her nauseous, she couldn't even imagine if he had experienced such a grotesque death.

Emma was restless and couldn't sleep, her mind was racing a mile a minute, replaying the night's events in her head over and over. She got out of bed and padded quietly across the loft to peer out the window, feeling somewhat comforted by the glow of Regina's fires in the distance. It was as if the mayor was offering not only the warmth of a campfire to whoever needed it, but comfort and solace from the darkness that was seeping into their quiet town. While she couldn't sense magic as well as Regina could, Emma still felt a sort of pressure on her lungs, as if some sort of evil force was lingering nearby, poisoning the air and stifling her.

How had so much gone wrong in such a short amount of time? Yesterday was her birthday and everything was all smiles and laughter and cake, and today everything was sheer insanity. She was grateful that Killian was so stable through this ordeal because she felt like she might not be able to face tomorrow without knowing he was there to help her get through it.

A ding from her cell phone on the counter captured her attention. It was almost 2:30 in the morning, if someone was trying to get a hold of her she knew it must be important.

Regina's name lit up the screen with a text message asking her if she was still up. She immediately typed back her reply, her hands shaking as she began to panic.

 **Yes. What's wrong?**

 **We need to talk.**

* * *

"So you think that this is like a zombie mind control type deal?" Emma asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend, trying to understand what she was being told.

She had immediately jumped into her car after Regina's text and drove over to Robin's. They were all now sitting in his living room, the couple together on the couch and Emma across from them in an armchair. They spoke in a hushed manner, careful not to wake the young Roland in the next room. Robin and Regina were almost trembling in agitation. Whatever news Regina had was clearly not good. Robin was already glowering (which didn't bode well), but his hand remained on the small of his girlfriend's back for support.

"To put it crudely, yes." Regina sighed. "I believe I know who's behind it. We have…" She dared a quick look towards Robin then focused on the blonde again. "A history."

"How do you know?" She needed solid answers, not this wishy washy crap Regina was giving her. The mayor was glazing over details, as if she was afraid to actually speak the words.

Regina cleared her throat and looked down as she wrung her hands nervously, avoiding Emma's eyes. "I felt a familiar dark presence suddenly appear before your birthday dinner yesterday at Granny's. I foolishly ignored it, assuming what I was feeling was something else, something that could actually be plausible. I felt it again tonight when we were searching the woods, but it was stronger….So much stronger." She finished breathily.

Emma huffed loudly. She was getting impatient and agitated. "What are you telling me?"

"The one pulling the strings here, that made Grace do those terrible things…" Regina spoke hesitantly, choosing her words with care, fearful of the reaction she knew was coming. "It's a sort of… ex-lover of mine. And considering what Grace had said before she died, I believe I am his target."


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note: Thank you all so much for your support and for reading! I am endlessly grateful.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

Emma nodded as if she understood what she was being told, of course the Evil Queen would have had an evil lover…but this? This was beyond anything she could have expected of her friend's past. She had never judged Regina for her dark history because she had never known that Regina, only this one, her Regina, who was sitting here in front of her anxiously, eyes glistening with tears that threatened to fall.

The mayor couldn't deny the wave of warmth that rushed over her when Emma had shown up at Robin's door to talk, the young woman who knew her better than any. She had understood Regina and had accepted her for her heart, not her sordid past, and having to tell her of the horrors she had been party to long ago made her more nervous and terrified than she had felt in a long time. She was afraid that her friend would reject her now upon learning who she really was, and what she had done.

"So…" Emma began, unsure of what to say.

"It wasn't what you think," the brunette blurted out, not wanting her friend to draw the wrong conclusion. But what was the right conclusion? She had engaged in the most terrible activities with this man from her past, and willingly at first.

She peered over at Robin, who was staring intently at her hands, refusing to meet her stare. She knew he loved her and had previously told her that the past belongs in the past, but he would not accept this part of her and the things she had done with this other man. She knew no one would.

Regina took a deep, unsteady breath before she started speaking again. It was now or never. "I met him when I was younger, when I was first dabbling in dark magic. He was handsome then, charismatic, and I felt myself drawn to his power. He had magic so strong I could only dream of possessing a fraction of it."

Emma leaned forwards, elbows on her knees, and rubbed her eyes. She rested her face in her hands and watched Regina squirm under the impending weight of her own admission, but to her credit, her brave friend kept her gaze steady and looked at Emma imploringly, begging her to listen first and judge later.

"It began as a sort of apprenticeship that developed into a sort of…relationship." Regina continued. "His power was…intoxicating. I couldn't get enough of it. He had this amulet that allowed him to syphon magic from another, and we spent many nights doing just that. Not only taking magic from helpless strangers, but sharing between each other." She rubbed and scratched at her arms, a movement that Emma recognized as something addicts often do when thinking of using.

Emma's imagination led her to picture Regina and this stranger in bed together, dead bodies all around them, blood smeared on her friend's naked body who was too high on black magic to see the reality of the situation around her. Truthfully, Emma was not far off the mark at all.

"Things went south fairly quickly," Regina's chest tightened when she saw the look on Emma's face, knowing she was trying to envision her story, the furrow of her brow and the deep frown of her mouth indicating she was probably picturing exactly what had happened. "I began to realize he had a thrall over me, that he was using his magic to manipulate my mind, as he had done to his—our victims. It was small things here and there that eventually escalated until I had no control over myself anymore."

Both Robin and Emma were silent, and Regina stopped there. That was as far as she was willing to delve into her past with Moros. She had no desire to tell them the nitty gritty details unless absolutely necessary. It was a time in her life she tried to forget, not because of the horrendous acts she carried out but because of those that were done to her.

"How do we stop him?" Robin finally spoke up, and Regina shook her head, shrugging.

"I don't know…"

Emma sat back and mentally recapped what Regina had said. "Why didn't you think it could be him when you first felt him?" She asked.

Regina smiled tightly without humor as she replied, "Because I chained him to an anchor and tossed him in the ocean years ago."

* * *

Moros crouched low and sat back on his heels, taking Jefferson's chin in his hand and wrenched his face upwards to capture his gaze. The man's eyes were red and puffy from crying in grief over his dead daughter. Moros had little sympathy for the snivelling man; People were pawns. Regina was a pawn, he had just lost control of her.

"You know my orders," Moros said, voice low, and he tossed Jefferson away from him.

Jefferson scurried to his feet and fled, his mind breaking under the pressure of his master's will conflicting with his own hatred and need to get revenge. He staggered out into the woods, his master's mansion immediately disappearing behind him as he stepped off the threshold.

Inside, Moros sat on his large comfortable throne-like arm-chair and leaned back thoughtfully. Regina was his pawn, he reminded himself. Even if a pawn becomes a queen, it's still just a playing piece. His playing piece. She would know soon enough, she would come back to him, and they would live together gloriously once again.

* * *

After Emma had left, Regina and Robin lay on his bed together. She rested her cheek on his chest and he put his arm around her, pulling her close. He hummed to her, hoping to ease her mind and help her sleep, however he eventually dosed off as she stayed wide awake.

She felt like she would never sleep again. Fear curled off of her as she thought back to her time with Moros. It had not been pleasant, not in the least. She remembered laying with him, out of her mind obsessed with him, watching him force numerous slaves to eviscerate themselves over the two of them in bed. Bathing and fucking in the gore of the dead. She felt bile rise in her throat at the memory. His power was drawn from blood magic, and with his ability exhibit supremacy over every creature, he had no shortage of it.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Jefferson lurked outside Robin's apartment until he saw the mayor leave for a meeting to inform her companions of who and what they were dealing with and what exactly they could expect from him.

Robin was inside getting Roland breakfast when he heard the knocking. Assuming Regina had forgotten something, he was smirking when he opened the door.

"Thought I had finally gotten rid of you," he joked, and startled when he found a teary eyed and clearly unhinged Jefferson at the threshold.

The man didn't speak as he clenched his fist and swung at Robin with all his might, catching him underneath his jaw and knocking him flat on his back, out cold. Roland wailed, seeing his father fall to the floor, and Jefferson wasted no time in hoisting the former outlaw over his shoulder and closed the door behind him on his way out.

* * *

As soon as Regina finished speaking, the room erupted in a flurry of questions. Mary Margaret, David standing beside her, held a shrieking Neal close to her chest protectively as she yelled so her voice could be heard over the others.

"ENOUGH!" Emma's voice rang out and quieted everyone. Neal's cries hushed by his mother into hiccups, and they all turned to look at her expectantly. "This isn't helping. What we need to do is find a way around his brain-washy bullshit. Regina, how did you break free from this freak the first time around?"

Regina grimaced at the term freak. Surely he was, by definition, an aberration, but it struck a chord with her as she gazed at the young blonde woman, wondering what she now thought of her friend after learning of this secret Regina had harboured in silence for so many years. This was an aspect of her past she had hoped would never see the light of day.

"Actually," Gold finally spoke up. Emma had almost forgotten he was even there, he had been so quiet the entire meeting. "He couldn't control me, not fully."

Regina nodded, sparing Gold a grateful smile. "He saved me."

The two of them had kept this whole ordeal hidden for so long, if it hadn't been such an unforgettable and important occurrence for their relationship, they would have both gratefully wiped the whole thing from both their memories. The only good thing to have come out of it, perhaps, was an unspoken bond between Regina and Rumplestilskin.

"When one becomes The Dark one," Gold explained. "Their mind melds with the minds of all the previous Dark Ones. So while Moros could control one aspect of my senses, many of them were untouchable. Therefore he was not able to control all of them, at least not all at once. Not without the dagger."

Gold remembered the scene he had walked in on when he had found Regina in Moros' castle. The air had crackled with corrupt magic and was heavy with the stench of blood. Regina had been laying on blood soaked bedsheets, sprawled out with her eyes rolled back in bliss on a fetid bed in the middle of the room. She had the bodies of young men and women, or at least pieces of them, strewn across her as if they were lovers. Moros had left her there as he ventured into a nearby village to gather more innocents to sacrifice to his madness. He had no need to go there himself, as he had many under his thrall that would carry out any command, but he reveled in the hunt as much as the kill.

Gold blinked away the memory as he realized Emma was speaking to him and Belle was staring at him in shock. What else didn't she know about his past?

"So what you're telling me is that we, basically every single one of us except you, are totally fucked?" Emma asked, desperately scrutinizing his face, hoping he had some trick up his sleeve.

"That would be a safe assumption, yes." He agreed.

The room was in an uproar again, hysteria making everyone's voices shoot up an octave higher, and Neal began to yowl again.

Regina covered her face with her hands and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She couldn't believe this was happening to her again. She worked so hard to escape him and yet here he had found her yet again in a place he should have never been able to. Emma's hand touching her shoulder made her look up, and she realized she had been trembling, feeling the onset of a panic attack. Emma drew her close and wrapped her arms around the brunette in an embrace, seeing the anxiety her friend was feeling.

Regina remained tense, still unfamiliar with such intimacy that didn't involve her boyfriend. But she began to slacken, her knees feeling a bit weak with relief, when Emma said in her ear, "We'll get through this."

* * *

At the mansion in the forest, Robin was hanging by wrists. Chains pulled his arms against their joints painfully, holding him just above the ground. Below him, looking up at him with a strange expression, something between hatred and intrigue, was Moros.

The man was tall and thin, and would have seemed frail if not for the magic that oozed off of him. He had a gaunt face, sharp features, and dark chocolate skin. His hair was black and slicked back, speckled with a few gray hairs. If his skin didn't look like it was stretched over his bones, he might have been an attractive man, once upon a time.

Robin spat at him, to which he received a heavy blow to his side from Jefferson. He cried out in pain, feeling the iron rod he was struck with crack a rib. Moros smiled in a way that was almost kind.

"You're making this more difficult than it needs to be." He said, voice low and dangerous despite the smile that curled his mouth upwards.

Moros had no need to torture Robin for information or cooperation. He would eventually force the man to do his bidding regardless, but he genuinely enjoyed the act of utterly shattering a person first. In case they survived him, they would forever be a tortured soul.

Robin coughed, flecks of blood from internal bleeding appearing on his lips. "You're wasting your time," He croaked out.

"Am I?" Moros asked, amused.

"I'll never lead you to Regina. If that's why you're keeping me alive…just kill me."

Moros chuckled, a sound that made Robin's skin crawl, and he struggled in vain against his restraints.

"I'll never do the devil's work!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, the sound reverberating off the stone walls. He spoke not at the depraved man in front of him but to himself. A vow that, inwardly, he knew he would not be able to keep.

"We'll see."


	7. Chapter 7

Authors Note: **WARNING!** THIS CHAPTER IS ONE BIG TRIGGER.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

Emma and Killian made their way to The Jolly Roger for a little break from reality. Everything was beginning to spiral out of control and Emma didn't know how to help Regina, at least not yet. She could tell that the mayor wasn't divulging everything in regards to this Moros character, and that was her own prerogative, but it certainly wasn't making things easy. Clearly her previous encounter with him was not one she wanted to reminisce about.

"Earth to Emma," Killian waved his good hand in front of her face, grinning at her. He held up a glass of rum and nodded for her to take it.

Emma smiled and accepted the drink as the two sat on the deck, enjoying the salty sea breeze. She closed her eyes and let the gentle rocking of the boat ease her mind. She found The Jolly Roger to be an escape for her these days and was grateful for her boyfriend's surprisingly perceptive nature. He didn't ask her what was on her mind because he knew full well how she thought, how she reacted to situations. They spent their time together as a reprieve from the goings on of the world around them, a little taste of utopia in their constant dystopia.

"Did you know about him?" Emma asked, opening her eyes and meeting Hook's gaze. She knew that he had led a long and adventurous life, and had encountered Regina many times in her youth.

He shook his head. "I had heard rumors; almost everyone did, but nothing worth shaking a stick at."

She chewed her lip thoughtfully, trying to figure out what their game plan would be next. First of all they needed to figure out how Moros was controlling people exactly. Was it like a brain waves thing, or like an infection? Without knowing for sure how he manipulated minds, it seemed like it would be impossible and incredibly stupid to even try to stand up to him. If he was really as strong as she assumed, and he likely was considering the way Regina was terrified of him and how even Gold seemed reluctant to step up to bat, then all of them would need to stand together to defeat him.

He could fracture their group into pieces, and that was the most dangerous power he possessed.

* * *

When Regina returned to Robin's apartment he was busying himself with making a late lunch. She smiled as she closed the door behind her and he turned to her with a grin. He wasn't an overly good cook, but the effort and the thought that went into it was what was important.

"Belle and Gold are looking into Moros' abilities," She began, making her way over to the stove to see what he was making.

Robin shushed her with a swift embrace and a kiss, still grinning. "Now, now! None of that. We can discuss everything later, now it's just you and I enjoying each other's company."

Regina laughed and pushed him away lightly, running her hand down his back as he turned to stir the vegetables in the pan. She glanced around the apartment for Roland but he was absent, not that it was unusual; He would be in school at this time of day. She began to set two place settings for them at the table as Robin took them both up a dish of food.

As he placed their meals down at the table, he gestured towards the wine cabinet. "Get us a nice bottle of red, would you, Poppet?"

Regina froze. Poppet…? That…that was what Moros used to call her...

She spun on her heel to face her boyfriend but he was suddenly in her face, grabbing her by the neck and throwing her to the floor. His eyes weren't his own, they were churning and changing colors from his normal, comforting blue to the dark ebony eyes of the man who plagued her nightmares. His handsome smile was contorted into a terrifying grimace.

She screamed Robin's name, begging him to stop, hoping that she could break him out of the spell. But it didn't work, and she was petrified of hurting him with her magic. If she hurt him it wouldn't hurt Moros, but she might kill the man she loved in the process. The man she loved who was viciously attacking her.

Robin grabbed a hold of her ankle and dragged her across the floor away from the front door. She produced a fireball in her hand and threw it, but when he sat on her chest and began punching her face, her concentration faltered and it catapulted out the window instead. He was hitting her hard enough to break the bone above her left eye. Hard enough to break her jaw. Black dots began to swim into Regina's vision as she fought to stay conscious, her hands trying to push him away to no avail. He was as a madman in that moment with unprecedented strength, and she was losing hers with each collision his fists made.

She began to whimper as he ripped open her blouse, punching her chest and stomach repeatedly, creating bruises almost instantly. She coughed and nearly vomited from the blows to her abdomen, pain unlike she had experienced in a very long time. She kicked wildly at him and he wrenched her right arm away with such strength she heard something in it snap, saw white bone stick out. Her voice was raw from screaming as he moved down her body to nudge her legs apart and push her skirt up.

"NO!" Blood bubbled to her lips and she screamed. "Robin, no!"

Another punch to her head had her reeling, and she almost passed out right then. Her ears were ringing from the impact. She distantly realized he was fumbling with his belt buckle, pulling his pants down, tearing her underwear away, grabbing hold of her thighs. She heard a grunt and knew he was inside her then.

She allowed herself to drift into unconsciousness once he began to move in her, sparing herself of whatever she could of the experience.

* * *

"Emma!" Killian sat up in alarm as he saw a fireball, undoubtedly Regina's, fly upwards into the sky.

She followed his finger and her eyes locked onto it just as it was fizzling out, and a sudden feeling of dread washed over her. Something was terribly wrong.

The two of them sprang into action immediately, dropping their forgotten drinks to the wooden deck, and began running as fast as their legs would take them to Robin's apartment. Emma's calves felt like there was acid running through them, her lungs full of fire, as they sprinted through the streets.

Nothing could have prepared Emma for what they walked into when they burst through Robin's front door. Regina lay in a broken heap, her face swollen, her right arm twisted and mangled, her clothes torn and discarded.

Killian called an ambulance and did a quick sweep of the apartment and the hallway as Emma fell to her knees beside her friend, gently lifting the brunette's head into her lap. Clumps of her beautiful hair had been torn out in the struggle, and her face was so distorted that she didn't even resemble the woman Emma knew.

With a shaky hand, she checked Regina's pulse. Emma choked on a sob when she felt a very faint drumming against her fingers, slick with her friend's blood.


	8. Chapter 8

Emma spent the next few days sleeping in the chair at Regina's bedside. She found the beeping of the hospital machines comforting, letting her know her friend was still alive. Still alive. Not thriving particularly, but alive was what mattered.

Regina remained unconscious for most of the week while her body slowly healed itself, aided occasionally by a burst of magic from Emma. Robin had been right, however, her magic was still a bit unpredictable and she didn't have the experience to heal any major wounds. But she could help with the minor things like bruises and swelling, and eventually Regina began to look a little like herself again.

Emma was dozing off while Regina finally began to stir, opening her eye a slit to take in the sterile white hospital room. She turned her head as much as the pain in her body would allow, hearing a quiet snore at her side. Emma was slumped in the chair with a magazine forgotten on her knee as she napped.

Regina tried to speak and failed a few times before finally managing a very weak, "Em…ma."

The blonde roused, waking slowly and blinking the sleep from her eyes. When she realized her friend was awake, she felt like she nearly hit the ceiling when she jumped out of the chair to rush to her side.

"Regina, are you…" she began, and realized what a stupid question that was.

The brunette had two black eyes, bruises all along her jaw and her throat where strong hands had choked her, and her broken arm was set but still required a lot of healing. The doctor had reported many broken bones in her pelvis and chest and that there was evidence of severe trauma in relation to sexual assault. She couldn't imagine the physical pain Regina was feeling, much less the emotional pain.

"Robin…" Regina started, but her throat hurt too much to talk.

"We haven't found him yet," Emma explained. "There have been people out searching, but we will lock him away as soon as we find him."

Storybrooke had never before experienced a sexual assault case; no one had any idea what to do with Robin when they found him. Regina still wasn't widely liked, but they all conceded that no one deserved what had happened to her. Emotions were running high, and Emma had to keep reminding the townspeople that they were no longer in the Enchanted Forest, that they had to abide by the rules of this world.

"It…wasn't him…" Regina rasped. She had to close her eyes again and take a moment before continuing. "He was…being controlled…"

Emma nodded, she understood that Robin was not himself; like Grace, he was under the influence of Moros. But still, looking at Regina, once such a strong and unbeatable woman now so fragile, she knew that Robin had to be dealt with. He wouldn't be able to be in Regina's life even if he had no control over what he was doing. The trauma of being brutally attacked by someone you love doesn't just go away, and Regina might never get over the PTSD of it all.

Regina knew what the sheriff was thinking, and as much as she wanted to contest it, all she could see when she closed her eyes was Robin hulking over her, hands around her neck, panting with each thrust. The man she loved turned into a monster, manipulated to betray the most important part of him; his honor, his love. She turned her head to face away from her friend, knowing Emma would respect her in this moment and let her hide her face from her. And for that she was grateful, because there were tears in her eyes that she did not want the Savior to see.

* * *

Moros lounged on his bed, dreamily thinking back on the memory of violating Regina through Robin. Watching the terror in her eyes, seeing her body invaded and destroyed, hearing her cries to stop. It had been a long time since he had found such pleasure in possessing a slave. There was an utterly thrilling aspect to the attack, using the man she loved to hurt her so. He could feel himself becoming aroused again simply in remembering.

He stood and made his way across the room to where Robin sobbed, crouched in the corner. His fists bunched in his hair, his naked body curled into a fetal position as rocked back and forth, trying desperately to forget what he had done. Moros had his way with the putrid man, relieving the pressure of his erection through the continued torture of the former outlaw, and tossed the man aside when he was done. Robin fell in a wet puddle of semen and blood, his eyes empty and staring, his mind broken.

Moros sighed in disgust and kicked his slave with his booted foot before returning to lay on his bed. He was only somewhat satisfied with the man, and knew that he could not truly give him what he wanted. Surely he enjoyed raping his ex-lover using her current lover as a vessel, but now that the moment was over he craved more. He was always the type who required instant gratification.

He mused on the topic of how he would dispatch of the man when he was finished with him. Robin still had his uses, for now.

* * *

About a week after waking there had been little developments on what horror was plaguing their quiet town, and the mayor was just well enough to check herself out of the hospital. She required a nurse to check on her daily and needed a wheelchair to move around but she refused to stay in that hospital room any longer, feeling death and sickness permeating her senses. She was never that comfortable in hospitals. She didn't like to feel sick and vulnerable.

After what had happened with Robin, Grace's murder was no longer an issue for her to not return to her mansion. There was an empty, apathetic feeling in her, as if what she had experienced and continued to experience every night as she dreamt hardened her to the pain and suffering of others. Emma decided she would stay with her, no matter how much Regina argued, and the two of them sat quietly in the living-room after dinner, sipping wine and speaking very little.

Emma watched over the rim of her wine glass as Regina sighed and stared off out the window, and she knew her friend was watching to see if there was an intruder lurking outside. She was always on edge, always jumpy at the slightest sound, in a constant state of fight or flight. Emma saw the pain in Regina's dark brown eyes and the emptiness of her occasional strained smiles. She had talked with Killian and her parents about it at length and they all decided to be patient. Time alone would heal Regina's wounds, or so they all hoped.

Regina knew there was no safety in Storybrooke, not while Moros was alive and dwelling in the shadows. She began to form a plan in her head for her son, knowing he would need to be sent away for his own protection. She knew Moros wouldn't hesitate to use him against her at any point.

"We need to send Henry away," she finally spoke, and her words shocked Emma.

"What?!" The sheriff was suddenly defensive, and she jumped up. She was surprised by the sharpness of her own voice, by the intensity of it.

The sudden movement and angry outburst startled her friend, and Regina shrank away from her. Emma instantly regretted it and moved to sit beside her on the couch, careful not to touch her. She had learned from experience in the last week that any touch triggered traumatic memories for her. Emma let herself calm down before they continued the discussion.

"Think about it, Emma..." Regina felt her eyes well with tears. "Everyone needs to be sent away. No one is safe with me."

As she thought about life without her Henry, who she had worked so hard to keep near her and safe, her dear lost Robin, without her strong savior Emma, or even Emma's idiot parents, Regina felt as though her entire world had crumbled around her. She had built a life in Storybrooke, so sturdy and durable as stone that was now shifting like sand in the blowing wind.

If any of them stayed to help her, they'd all die.


	9. Chapter 9

"So we need to find a way to send the Big Bad to another world." Emma countered, feeling her heart jump into her throat when Regina suggested sending away their son and the rest of Storybrooke. "We can't just send the whole town away."

Regina shook her head. "Where can we send him that he wouldn't be able to come back from? If we send Henry beyond the town line we know that Moros' mind control wouldn't be able to reach him."

"Regina, that is not an option. We need to get rid of Moros, not run from him!" Emma's voice was hard and resolute. She couldn't understand why Regina, this woman that was the strongest she had ever met, was crippling under the shadow of this man from her past. Surely she had experienced trauma at the hands of Robin, her love, but she never expected Regina to cower so.

Regina turned her face away then and said nothing. Emma huffed in frustration and set her drink down. She decided to try a new tactic, hopefully she would be able to convince Regina to open up about what had happened between her and this new enemy.

"Come on, we should try healing you a bit before we go to bed," Emma suggested, changing the subject.

The two of them held their hands over Regina's bruised legs and hips and let the warmth of the healing magic course through them. Because Emma's magic was so all over the place, she needed Regina to keep her grounded. However the brunette was still too weak to be able to heal herself on her own, so the two engaged in this sort of magical physiotherapy daily to help the mayor get back to her old self again. Physically, at least. There was something inexplicable that the two of them felt while they used magic together, and Emma met Regina's eyes with a gasp. It felt so right, like they fit together so perfectly that they could create anything together. They weren't even touching, but the connection between them was undeniable.

Regina could feel her bones mending slowly, but the exertion quickly exhausted her and she leaned back against the arm of the couch. Emma sat back from her and gave her some space. The two were quiet for a long time before the older woman finally spoke, her voice wavering and uncertain.

"We met such a long time ago," She said, her eyes closed. "There was a looking-glass that Rumpelstiltskin had given me, it worked as a portal to other worlds. I'm not sure how or why Moros appeared to me through it, but one day he did. And we would meet daily, whispering secrets from either side of the mirror."

Emma sucked in a breath, making sure to not speak or react in any way that would cause her friend to stop talking. She knew Regina was telling her things she had never spoken aloud before, delving deeper into her past than she wished, and was trusting her with information and emotion that she had kept bottled up for so long.

"He was a beautiful young man, scarred and damaged but still so handsome. He had been born into slavery under a man named Ambrogio, a man who in his time held sway over many and who killed ruthlessly. He was in the Gods' eye, as Moros would say, and he was gifted an amulet, among many other trinkets, from the gods of his world. The amulet allowed him to control others, to bend them to his will, to steal and redistribute magic, but it required payment. Blood in exchange for magic. The amulet needed to be fed." She opened her eyes and looked at her friend, and her expression caused Emma's chest to tighten painfully. "Moros had no name then. He was treated like an animal, abused and….and raped…" she choked on the word, "endlessly, and perhaps that is why he became such a twisted man."

Emma blinked at her, keeping her expression calm. She understood that a tortured soul could often grow into an abuser themselves. She had seen it many times in the foster care system. But the waY Regina spoke of him, like there was some lingering affection...

"And so I decided to cross over into his world one day and save him from Ambrogio, and help him take the amulet for himself." Regina looked away again. "You can imagine the rest of what happened. I was foolish to think he wouldn't use the amulet on me. And we did so many horrible things together, some things too horrendous to be put into words. And When I tried to leave him, he showed me his true face. He enslaved me just as he had been, and the things he had done to me were much more horrific than he forced Robin to do to me. He's only just begun punishing me...he targets the weak willed, or will wear you down until he can control you."

Regina's chest heaved as she sighed heavily. "It was a love story gone wrong. I should have realized how warped his mind had become…"

Regina was silent then for a while. After about ten quiet minutes, she tried to sit up and held a tentative hand out to her friend. Emma tensed immediately, realizing this would be Regina's first real human contact since she had awoken in the hospital.

"Are you sure?" Emma exhaled heavily, startled.

The mayor gave her a small, pained smile, and nodded. "Help me to bed." It was sheer exhaustion that was forcing her to sleep, for she would not willingly choose it as Moros always found her in her dreams.

Emma stood and moved in front of Regina, and let her friend initiate the contact. Regina took hold of Emma's hand gently, and they stayed that way for a long time. Neither of them moved or spoke, and the only sound in the room was their hitched breathing. Regina's free hand slid up Emma's arm and pulled her down closer, and she wrapped her arms around Emma's neck.

"I trust you…You can touch me," the older woman said, her breath tickling Emma's ear.

She obliged and slowly, so slowly, slid her arms around her friend, one hooking under her knees and the other secured behind her back. She lifted then, her muscles protesting at the gradual movement of lifting the brunette off the couch and into her arms. The two of them were shaking, Regina as she fought off memories of her attack, and Emma as she realized some strange, uncontrollable feeling was washing over her, and felt like she needed to escape.

Emma carried the mayor up to bed and laid her down softly. When she turned to head to the spare bedroom, Regina's voice was small and vulnerable. "Stay with me?"

The blonde took a moment to consider. Something in her head was screaming at her to leave, to bolt right out the door, but the way Regina trembled and stared at her with wide, insecure eyes, had her moving to lie on the bed beside her. They had slept beside each other before, but this was so completely different. Regina slid her hand into Emma's, interlocking their fingers, and soon dozed off, feeling safer than she had felt in a long while, more safe than she had felt when Robin had comforted her in a similar fashion before she had lost him to Moros. It was the first time Regina slept peacefully since the attack.

As she watched Regina sleep, her chest rise and fall with her breathing, all Emma wanted to do was embrace her, press her lips to her forehead and tell her it would be alright. Emma wanted to hold her and protect her and never let anything painful happen to her again. An odd realization came over her then, it felt like she was watching the purple clouds of the dark curse barreling towards her at an unprecedented speed, like there was something coming her way she could do nothing about.

Was she falling in love with Regina?


	10. Chapter 10

Emma didn't sleep much that night, watching diligently over the sleeping brunette beside her. The moon shone in through the window pane and silvered her silhouette, turning Regina into a slumbering ethereal beauty. It was all she could do to prevent herself from wrapping her arms around her and holding her as she slept, but Emma didn't want to chance causing a nightmare when her friend was sleeping so peacefully.

When the sun began to rise, Emma slipped out of bed quietly and made her way downstairs to make coffee and breakfast.

Regina woke with a start when she realized she was alone, and immediately panic set in.

"Emma?!" She nearly screamed, using her good arm to pull herself into a half seated position against the backboard. She heard no reply which made her anxiety skyrocket, and even though she knew she was unable to properly walk, she tried to stand.

Emma entered the room just as Regina was staggering painfully to her feet, wobbling and unsteady.

"Jesus, Regina," She gasped, quickly setting the tray she was holding onto the edge of the bed and ran over to help her. She coaxed her friend back onto the soft comforter, shaking her head with an exasperated laugh and joked, "I was just making breakfast, you psycho."

Regina groaned in pain as her legs protested under her weight and they were happy to be back up onto the bed. She reassumed a seated position, her comfortable pillows at her back to keep her upright. Emma retrieved the tray and set it on the bed over her friends legs, taking a seat on the bed beside her.

"I just thought…" she whispered but Emma cut her off, meeting her eyes with an intense gaze.

"I'm here, ok?"

Regina blinked and looked away. There was something in Emma's stare that looked somewhat familiar but altogether new. And she wasn't sure she liked it.

Emma cleared her throat to dispel the awkward feeling in the air and gestured at the tray she had placed on her friend's lap. "I made breakfast."

Regina sniffed at the air and crinkled her nose. "I don't think burnt toast constitutes breakfast."

Emma smirked and handed a cup of coffee to the brunette, who curled her cold hands around the warm mug and took a gracious sip. "Well I made perfectly unburnt coffee."

Regina offered her a small smile, her first smile in a long time that actually held some fraction of the old Regina, and it caused a dizzy feeling to overcome Emma. She cleared her throat again and stood, fidgeting with her shirt for a moment to distract herself.

She let Regina enjoy the coffee before she spoke up again. "So we have some company coming in a couple hours to discuss Moros."

Regina's eyes went wide and she placed her mug aside, anger creeping into her voice. "Emma, I can't entertain the Justice League while I look like this."

The blonde gave her a once over, honestly she didn't see a problem. Regina's bedhead was somehow…endearing, and there was something about seeing her without makeup and not so put together and hiding behind her mayor persona that elicited a tug at her heart. But Regina was always the regal one, and refused to appear in the public eye as disheveled and uncouth. Besides, there were more important things at hand than her appearance, but she had an inkling that Regina was avoiding the whole topic of Moros altogether.

"Well, magic yourself pretty." Emma said nonchalantly, waving her hand in the air, imitating Regina's magical 'poof' gesture.

"I'm still too weak to be wasting my energy on glamour magic, I need to reserve it for healing myself," Regina said slowly, as if Emma was an idiot.

"Ok, your majesty," Emma drawled, offering an over-dramatic bow, "What would you have me do?"

Regina avoided her gaze and fiddled with the comforter, annoyed and extremely unhappy to have to ask such assistance from anyone, even if the woman in front of her was her best friend. "I…I need help bathing."

This time Emma's eyes went wide, and she felt like she was going to topple over from surprise. At the frown on her friend's face, and the obvious way she was laying herself bare here in asking, Emma did her best to regain her composure. Part of the surprise stemmed from Regina trusting her enough to actually touch her.

"Uh, ok. I guess. As long as it doesn't get weird. Or gay. Or weird." She stammered.

"Oh grow up, Miss Swan." Regina scoffed, however she was also feeling strange in asking something so personal of her. "Run the bath, please."

Emma felt like she ran from the bedroom, eager to escape the conversation. She entered Regina's en suite bathroom, making her way to the antique claw-foot tub and began to run the bath water, her hands shaking nervously as she tried to get a grip on herself.

Why was she feeling so unnerved by the request? She had seen Regina partially naked before when they'd get ready for bed after a drunken night, or when she'd help her pick out an outfit before they would go out for dinner with the family. Regina had always been confident with her body and not one to shy away from a little skin showing when Emma was around. She felt comfortable enough with her to reveal a bit of herself in that way, and Emma had to remind herself in this moment that she had no right to feel awkward about the situation. Girl friends do that sort of thing all the time… right?

Emma poked through a few of the toiletries in a basket on the bathroom counter until she found a jasmine and sage scented bath bomb, pink and purple with a rose design in the center, and added it to the running water. She paced back and forth on the cold tiled floor, waiting for the bath to fill before she returned to help Regina into the bathroom. This carrying her bridal style was going to have to stop ASAP.

She set her friend down on the wooden chair beside the bath and helped her undress, trying to look anywhere else as she unbuttoned the silk pajama top. Her fingers were shaky and fumbled a few times until the mayor sighed and took over, deftly unbuttoning her top with one hand, so Emma worked on sliding off the silken pants instead. Even though she had helped dress her the night before, Emma was still shocked to find the mayor without underwear beneath her pajamas, but did well to keep her gasp an inward one. She scooped up her now nude friend, careful to look anywhere but down at the woman in her arms and doing her best to ignore the feeling of her smooth skin against hers, and eased the mayor into the milky purple, fragrant bathwater.

Regina let out a slight moan of pleasure as the warm water eased her sore muscles, and Emma turned back to try to give her some privacy. Regina tilted her head back into the water to wet her hair and instantly realized there was a problem.

"Emma, I can't lift my arm enough to wash my hair." Regina sounded slightly annoyed with herself, and the blonde turned to her reluctantly.

The sheriff moved the wooden chair behind the tub and squeezed a few drops of honey scented shampoo into her palms, rubbing them together to create a lather. She tentatively began working her fingers through Regina's hair, almost afraid to even make contact.

"Gods, you would be the worst handmaiden," Regina murmured with a hint of humor in her voice. She was obviously beginning to enjoy having the Savior at her beck and call. She was perfectly capable of washing her hair with one hand, but having Emma do it for her made her feel strong again even in her vulnerable and weakened state, like she was the Queen again.

Emma allowed herself to relax a little, it was her own fault for demanding to help Regina as she recovered. Granted, she didn't think helping her friend bathe was in the cards, but she may as well own up to the fact she had basically forced herself into Regina's home and refused to leave.

There were a few sore spots the brunette's scalp where Robin had pulled out her hair in the struggle, but the soft...loving?...movements of Emma's fingers felt so unlike him that the touch didn't bring forth any negative flashbacks of her attack. Regina made a deep-throated noise of satisfaction as Emma began to massage the shampoo into her hair and scalp, a noise that caused Emma to flush and feel a sharp pang of desire deep in her stomach.

Regina was going to be the death of her.


	11. Chapter 11

True to Emma's word, Hook, Rumpelstiltskin and Belle knocked on Regina's front door just before noon. She and the Sheriff had just begun combining their magic to heal Regina when they showed up, therefore she was instantly irate at their timing. Emma answered the door and led them into the living room where Regina was lounging, trying to look as much like her aristocratic self as possible.

Granted, she had done a fine job. After bathing and helping her dress into a simple dark charcoal dress and burgundy blazer, Emma had the opportunity to watch Regina's daily routine of getting ready. The practiced perfect way she applied her makeup, the ease in which she styled her black silken hair; it had felt so intimate that Emma blushed and had to look away at times when the mayor's eyes met hers through the mirror.

Belle placed her quite heavy looking ancient tomes onto the coffee table as they all assumed some sort of sitting or standing position in a semi-circle around her. Emma took the spot near Regina, and Hook stood hovering beside her. His right hand squeezed her shoulder gently and she looked up at him with her usual crooked smile, which he returned with his own, his blue eyes twinkling as he stared down at his lady-love. In the few days away from him she realized in that moment she had missed him slightly, but what troubled her was the degree that she missed him was not as drastic as she would have thought. The realization caused her smile to falter slightly and her brow to furrow as she turned her attention to Belle and Gold, hoping the slip in her expression went unnoticed.

"So we've done some looking into Moros' powers, the amulet Regina described," Belle began, but her tone wasn't hopeful and immediately put everyone on edge. "I can't find a way to dispel his mind-control magic, and the closest we've come to resisting it at all would be Rumple."

Regina glanced up at Gold, who shifted uncomfortably. She had the feeling he wasn't interested in putting his life on the line for her, as he was always the selfish type. If the danger wasn't directed at him specifically, he wanted no part in it.

She was quick to voice her opinion, "And Mr. Gold here isn't going to put himself in the line of fire, clearly."

Belle looked over at her boyfriend and frowned a little. Obviously they had had this discussion and by the look passed between the two of them, Regina's assumption was spot on.

"We want to use the apprentice's hat to take Moros' power from him," Gold responded, his voice low and resolute.

Regina nodded, a plan already forming in her head. She knew they wouldn't be able to get close enough to Moros to use the apprentice's hat, but she already had another idea for what they could use it for. Though she wasn't ready to tell the rest of them just yet, knowing the disruption and chaos the suggestion would cause.

"Alright," Emma said, her own mind working to figure out the best plan of action. "We just need to get close enough," She looked over at her still injured friend. "Regina is the only one who could maybe get that close, but she's still not strong enough. And I don't want to put her in that position,"

Gold chuckled at this; he waved a hand dismissively at the mayor. "Regina is plenty strong enough,"

Emma took to the defensive immediately. "We've been working hard together to heal her, we just need more time."

Gold shook his head at her, scoffing at Emma and Regina's misunderstanding of his statement as if they were simple minded children. "It's not Regina's magic that is weak, it's her will,"

The brunette glowered at Rumpelstiltskin, and if looks could kill he would probably have keeled over right then and there. "I am perfectly committed to ridding Storybrooke of Moros."

"You're afraid, and unwilling to get better," He accused her. "The Queen I know would have healed herself a week ago without even a spark of magic from the Savior."

Emma glanced over at Regina and curious green eyes met troubled brown, and she could sense there was truth to what Gold was saying. In the time she had spent with the mayor in the past week, she found herself able to pick up on the smallest of changes in her expression. Of course there would be fear lingering on account of what had been done to Regina, but she was never one to back down when her or her family was threatened.

"Stop acting like a petulant child and heal yourself," Gold said to the mayor condescendingly.

Regina exhaled a breath that sounded more like a growl and began summoning magic, her hands hovering over her injured legs. The room filled with a purplish glow, stemming from her outstretched fingers, and everyone held their breaths. For a moment the magic seemed to be working, and then it fizzled out like a party sparkler reaching the end of its stick.

"She's not ready," Emma countered immediately, and Regina gave her an apologetic look.

Gold grumbled and limped towards her. "Oh for God's sake," he murmured as he summoned his own magic before anyone had the chance to object, and a grey smoke enveloped Regina.

Once the smoke had dissipated she had a surprised look on her face that quickly changed to anger. "Don't use magic on me without my permission," she spat venomously.

Gold stepped back, her words not affecting him in the least, and he hit her legs gently with his cane. "Stand." If Moros was stealing the magic of the townsfolk, he needed Regina and Emma at full strength to keep himself off of his radar.

Emma was immediately on her feet to help, and Regina slipped a hand into hers for support as she gently rose. She detested being told what to do, especially from Gold, and especially when she was harboring doubts about rushing into a conflict with Moros, but as she stood her legs held fast and didn't hurt her. She looked at Emma and withdrew her hand, stretching out her once injured arm to test its mobility.

"Perfect, now let's stop dilly dallying, dearies."

* * *

They all decided to reconvene at Rumpelstiltskin's shop later that afternoon to solidify their plans and to get their affairs in order before they attempted to 'storm the castle'. Regina walked into the kitchen to fix herself and Emma some real food, remaining quiet as she diced vegetables for omelets. She was perfectly aware that Emma was watching her thoughtfully from the stool she was perched on at the island in the middle of the kitchen. The sun was warm as it filtered in through the windows, and if this had been under different circumstances, this would have felt very domestic.

"Regina,"

She refused to look up at her friend at first, busying herself with their brunch, until Emma repeated her name in a harsh tone.

"What have we been doing here, why have we been wasting so much time?" Emma moved to stand in front of the oven to force Regina to look at her. "Are you just afraid of facing him? Afraid we aren't strong enough?" She instinctively reached out to touch her friend's hand. "Together, we are strong enough to do this."

Regina snatched her hand away as if she had been burned and pushed Emma aside, again focusing on the food, trying to save the delicate dish from over-cooking. Facing away from the sheriff, the brunette shook her head.

"We aren't strong enough," She whispered, so quietly that Emma almost didn't catch it.

"That's bullshit, Gold said so, and I believe in you. We've been able to stop everything we've come up against once we combined our magic and our wills…" A realization washed over her, and she grasped the counter for support, feeling a little dizzy. "Is that it? You don't want to stop him?"

Regina turned to face her slowly, placing aside the spatula, and gradually let her tear-filled eyes meet Emma's. "There's nothing we can do here. I'm going to surrender myself, I'm the one he wants and he want's me to come to him voluntarily," She held her hand up as Emma began to argue. She sounded exhausted as she continued, "Don't you get it? His power is limitless. I was just enjoying our time together these last few days, the peaceful feeling of being looked after, cared for. I wanted it to last a little longer. Once I give him what he wants, he and I will leave together."

Emotions welled up inside Emma and she struggled for a moment to speak, so furious and confused and—what had she said about enjoying their time together?—just as a loud bang of a door opening shook the house, causing the chandelier in the foyer to clink together. The two women instinctively moved closer together, standing back to back, magic crackling at their fingertips.

Regina choked at the sight of Robin entering the kitchen, his clothes torn and dirty, the left side of his face split open and oozing blood, his body lumbering and likely only able to move because of the magic that was controlling his mind. As horrified as she was to see Robin, when Moros came around the corner behind him, moving as if he was gliding along the floor, her knees buckled and Emma had to scoop her arm under her elbow to try to hold her upright.

"My beautiful poppet," Moros' voice felt like a snake slithering across their skin, and the two women tried to back away, both shivering against the ungodly noise. "How I've missed you."

With a simple flick of his wrist, he threw Emma aside and into a wall, creating a crack in the plaster that extended up and across the ceiling. She groaned in pain and tried to stand, but a cabinet had fallen on her and kept her pinned. Adrenaline was surging through her veins and she threw it aside, standing just in time to see Moros' hand stroking Regina's cheek as she stood statue still, threading his dirty fingers in her hair and tangling it as he tugged.

Emma screamed defiantly and threw a crackling ball of electricity at him, but was horrified to find Robin jumping in the way to protect his master. The outlaw's moans of pain echoed through the destroyed kitchen, causing Emma's stomach to churn, but somehow he was still standing after the light of the magic had died down. The flesh on his torso was torn and blood had splashed all over Regina and Moros.

Moros traced a finger along Regina's jaw and then across her lips and teeth, forcing her to taste her lover's blood. He stepped away from her then, and Robin staggered back to stand between them. With a simple snap of Moros' fingers, Robin dug his hands into his the wounds of own torso to grab onto the bottom of his ribs, and with unprecedented strength and no protest, he began pulling them out of his body one by one, deaf to Emma's cries to stop. In fact, not only was he not objecting at all, he was making some horrible sound that resembled laughter, creating a cacophony of cracks, squishing and spurting, and a terrible cackling. He dropped his ribs carelessly the floor and they made a sickening slapping sound as they clattered onto the tiles

After he had finished digging at his chest, He wavered slightly. A proud smile graced his lips as he had successfully followed his master's orders, and then he toppled over at Regina's feet.

With a quick puff of crimson and black smoke, Moros was gone, but Robin's dead body remained, the stench of him and the burning food permeating the once pristine kitchen.

Regina's hair was filthy and matted, her face caked with blood, her deep brown orbs glistening with tears. Her legs gave way and she fell back to sit on her heels, her bloody hands limp beside her, eyes unblinking. Emma stared wide-eyed, her hand going to her forehead, mouth agape, as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Slowly, Regina leaned forwards onto her hands and knees, hovering over the bloody mess that was once her Happy Ending, quiet sobs racking her body. She seemed so frail and broken as she trembled in the afternoon sun.


End file.
